It has been argued that those of us in affluent societies have strong obligations to provide for the basic needs of those in impoverished societies. These obligations are so strong that some have suggested that our failure to fulfill our obligations to others is seriously wrong, perhaps on par with murder. In this essay you are asked to evaluate the strength of these arguments that suggest we are obligated to provide for those who are, economically, much worse off than ourselves.
1. An introduction that states the issue being discussed and a clear presentation of the thesis you will be defending: e.g., ?In this paper I will argue that . . . ?
2. A brief but clear explanation of the problem. What is the issue being addressed? Why is the issue problematic? Explain to your reader, in essence, why she (or he) should care about what you will discuss in your paper. Empirical evidence can be useful here. Do not hesitate to do some research on this topic. Here you should not address what some philosophers say about the problem you have selected, but rather explain why philosophers may feel motivated to discuss the at all.
3. A clear and thorough description of the moral position that you have decided to present. This description should be as fair and accurate as possible, and should include a presentation of the arguments that the author offers in favor of her position. So, though you might conclude that the philosopher?s arguments for her theory are wrong, you should still present her theory in the best light possible.
4. As you probably have learned by now, no philosophical claims go unchallenged. Please provide the strongest objections that one may raise to the thesis you presented. Explain the objection and exactly why one might think this would be a problem for the author?s position.
5. Evaluate the objections. What are the best responses that the author can give to these objections? Should the reader find these responses convincing? Explain why or why not.
6. Include a brief concluding paragraph in which you summarize your paper and conclusions.